Process for making an improved soap powder

ABSTRACT

A high quality soap powder is made from sodium hydroxide, lard, sodium tetraborate and a minor amount of coconut oil.

0 United States Patent 1 [11] 3,886,087 Terry May 27, 1975 [541 PROCESSFOR MAKING AN IMPROVED 2,861,953 11/1958 Thunnan 252/109 SOAP POWDERFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: Jessie Mae Terry, 688Rockaway 1,075 1856 United Kingdom 252/109 Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11212 331/1876 United Kingdom 252/109 [22] Filed: June 21, 1973 OTHERPUBLICATIONS [21] App]. No.: 372,247 Soap and Detergents, by E. G.Thomssen et a1., publlshed by MacNaIr-Dorland Co., New York, 1949, p.23-24. [52] US. Cl. 252/370; 252/109; 252/132; I [51 Im Cl Clld iii 312( Primary jf 1 Ag i 9 A [58] Field of Search 252/109, 110, 97, 135,ems t 252/369 370 57 ABSTRACT 5 References Cited A high quality soappowder is made from sodium hy- UNITED STATES PATENTS droxide, lard,sodium tetraborate and a minor amount 60,890 1/1867 Hermance 252/109 ofcoconut 4/1943 7 Heald 252/ 109 4 Claims, No Drawings 1 PROCESS FORMAKING AN IMPROVED SOAP I POWDER The present invention relates to a newand improved soap, and particularly to a soap powder useful for washingclothes by hand or in an automatic washing machine.

' Soap making is well known, and comprises saponifying a fat and/or anoil with an alkali metal hydroxide or other basic inorganic material.While there has been substantial literature describing soap making,nevertheless soap making is still essentially empirical, with ad vancesmade in the art on a trial and error basis. As in the .case of manycomplex admixtures, the addition of a new ingredient to a soap, whilesolving one problem, often gives rise to new problems, thereby creatingthe need for yet further additives. Since soaps must compete withdetergents, it is essential that the soap do more than just remove dirt;it must also be capable of washing the clothes to get them as white andbright as the detergents. That is, the soap must not dull the colors ofthe clothes and other material being washed. Thus far, it has beendifficult to provide a soap of simplified formulation that can be usedwith advantage in automatic washing machines,

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved soap.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a soap powder thancan be used to advantage in automatic washing machines,

It is a further object of the invention to provide a soap powder thatgives a clean and bright wash when used in an automatic washing machine.

These objects are fulfilled by the present invention, which provides asoap powder consisting essentially of sodium hydroxide, lard, sodiumtetraborate and coconut oil.

The present invention also provides a process for making the soappowder, which consists essentially of forming an aqueous solution ofsodium hydroxide, dissolving lard in the solution while heating andstirring, dissolving sodium tetraborate and coconut oil in the solutionwhile continuing the heating, heating the mixture for a period of about2 to about 6 hours to saponify the mixture, allowing the saponifyingmixture to cool to room temperature and to stand for a period of from 2to 4 days, and crushing the dried soap into powder.

The soap of the present invention is thus a mixture of only four activeingredients, instead of the complex mixtures previously encountered inthe art. Because of the high quality of the ingredients, a high qualitysoap is formed without the need for a large number of additives.

A preferred recipe is as follows:

sodium hydroxide 10-16 Ounces water 2-4 quarts lard 80-105 ounces sodiumtetraborate 8-30 ounces coconut oil 1-5 ounces Because of the empiricalnature of soap, the four active ingredients set forth above (i.e.excluding the water) are essential. For example, substitution of lardwith beef tallow results in a soap of not as high purity. The use ofoils other than coconut oil have proved to be unsuccessful. Omission ofthe sodium tetraborate results in too harsh a soap. The use of largerquantities of coconut oil results in a disagreeable oily feel to thesoap and leaves an oily film on the wash. v i

To obtain the finest soap according to the invention, it is necessary touse the best quality ingredients. Thus, the lard should be as pure aspossible, white and nearly odorless and tasteless. The coconut oilshould likewise be as pure as possible, the best variety of coconut oilbeing Cochin China oil.

The soap of the present invention is white and has an agreeable odor. Ifdesired, however. perfumes and/or coloring agents may be added.

If the soap is to be colored, then it is preferred to add between aboutl8 and about l 19 grams of coloring agent per lOO pounds of soap. theamount of color to be used depending upon the desired shade and thestrength of the coloring agent used. The coloring agent may be addedasan aqueous solution along with the coconut oil.

Perfume, if used, is also added along with the coconut oil. Any perfumeused in soaps may be used in the soap of the present invention, such asa perfume oil formed by admixing 5 ounces of geranium oil, 1 ounce ofclove oil and 1 ounce of musk ketone. The perfume oil thus formed muststand for at least 1 week before use.

The following Example illustrates a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

EXAMPLE A large pot was charged with 3 quarts of water, to which wasslowly added 13 ounces of commercial lye (96 percent sodium hydroxide, 2percent sodium carbonate, 2 percent inerts, all by weight). The mixturewas stirred to dissolve the sodium hydroxide and form a solution. Thesolution was then heated over a low flame and 6 pounds of lard wasadded, while stirring. The heating and stirring was continued until thelard was fully dissolved, and then 24 ounces of sodium tetraborate and 3ounces of coconut oil were added. The mixture thus formed was heatedover a low flame, with stirring, for four hours, to assist in thesaponification. The glycerine formed during the saponification was notremoved, but rather was allowed to remain in the soap.

At the end of four hours, the heating was discontinued and the soapallowed to cool to room temperature and to stand at room temperature forthree days, after which it was crushed into small particles.

The soap powder was then tested in top-loading automatic washingmachines using one cup of soap powder per l6-pound load. Dirt wasthoroughly removed from both white and colored clothes, and a distinctsoftness of the washed material was noted. The wash was clean andbright.

What is claimed is:

l. A process for making a soap powder, consisting essentially ofdissolving 10 to 16 parts by weight of sodium hydroxide in 64 to 128parts by weight water to form an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution,heating and stirring said solution while dissolving to parts by weightof lard therein followed by addition of 8 to 30 parts by weight ofsodium tetraborate and l to 5 parts by weight coconut oil thereto,heating the resulting admixture with stirring for a period of from abouttwo to about six hours to saponify the mixture, allowing the saponifyingmixture to cool to room temperature and to stand at room temperature fora period of from two to four days, and forming the soap product 3 4 thusobtained into a powder. the glycerine formed durof lard is 96 parts byweight. the amount of sodium teing the saponification being retained inthe final soap traborate is 24 parts by weight and the amount ofcocoproduct. nut oil is 3 parts by weight.

2. The process according to claim 1, in which the 3. Soap powderprepared by the process of claim 1.

amount of sodium hydroxide is 12.5 parts by weight, 4. Soup powderprepared by the process of claim 2. the amount of water is 96 parts byweight, the amount

1. A PROCESS FOR MAKING A SOAP POWDER, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OFDISSOLVING 10 TO 16 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE IN 64 TO 128PARTS BY WEIGHT WATER TO FORM AN AQUEOUS SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION,HEATING AND STIRRING SAID SOLUTION WHILE DISSOLVING 80 TO 105 PARTS BYWEIGHT OF LARD THEREIN FOLLOWED BY ADDITION OF 8 TO 30 PARTS BY WEIGHTOF SODIUM TETRABORATE AND 1 TO 5 PARTS BY WEIGHT CONCCONUT OIL THERETO,HEATING THE RESULTING ADMIXTURE WITH STIRRING FOR A PERIOD OF FROM ABOUTTWO TO ABOUT SIX HOURS TO SAPONIFY THE MIXTURE, ALLOWING THE SAPONIFYINGMIXTURE TO COOL TO ROOM TEMPERATURE AND TO STAND AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FORA PERIOD OF FROM TWO TO FOUR DAYS, AND FORMING THE SOAP PRODUCT THUSOBTAINED INTO A POWDER, THE GLYCERINE FORMED DURING THE SAPONIFICATIONBEING RETAINED IN THE FINAL SOAP PRODUCT.
 2. The process according toclaim 1, in which the amount of sodium hydroxide is 12.5 parts byweight, the amount of water is 96 parts by weight, the amount of lard is96 parts by weight, the amount of sodium tetraborate is 24 parts byweight and the amount of coconut oil is 3 parts by weight.
 3. Soappowder prepared by the process of claim
 1. 4. Soap powder prepared bythe process of claim 2.